GAINESVILLE, Ga. – A Gainesville manโค is facing โfelony charges after a months-long investigation stemming from a Snapchat video depictingโข sexual abuse of an animal. The โขHall County Sheriff’s Office arrested 22-year-old Justin Nicholas Watson on Friday, September 12, following a probe initiatedโ by the Lumpkin County โขSheriff’s Office.
The โขcase highlights the growing intersection of animal cruelty and digital platforms, โคraising concerns about the rapid dissemination of illegal content and the challengesโข law enforcement facesโ in โtracking and prosecutingโฃ such offenses.Bestiality is a โฃfelony in georgia, and the distribution โขof obsceneโ material carriesโ misdemeanorโค penalties. The investigation began โฃin May with reports ofโข the โabuse and subsequent โฃsharing of the video.
According toโ the Hall County Sheriff’s Office, Watson is accused of sexually โคabusing a canine and then distributing the video to at least three โคindividualsโ via Snapchat.โ The Lumpkin County Sheriff’s Office initiallyโ received the report before transferring the investigation โคto Hall County in โlate July, determining the crime occurred within โtheir jurisdiction.
Investigators obtained a search warrant for Watson’s Snapchat account onโค August 14. โThis led to a โขsearch ofโฃ his residence on Joe Chandler Road on โฃSeptember 12, โduring which the dog was taken into protective custody.Authorities confirmedโ the animalโ did not sustainโ lasting physical โinjuries and โis currently โขunderโข the care of Hall โCounty Animal โขServices.
Watson was booked into the Hall County Jail on September 13 and subsequentlyโ released โคon โan $8,100 bond the following day. He is charged with bestiality and distributing obscene material. It is currently unkown if Watson has retained legal โcounsel.
The Hall County Sheriff’s Office provided theโฃ details forโ thisโค report.